Area emergency crews kept busy over weekend

A variety of factors, both known and uncertain, contributed to a very busy weekend for Bartlesville-area emergency workers.

Local police, fire and ambulance personnel were kept on the run by an inordinate number of medical calls, traffic accidents and a broad range of other incidents — some of them bizarre.

Motor-vehicle accidents that resulted in injuries occurred Saturday morning at Adams Boulevard and Shawnee and Saturday evening in Dewey. More traffic mishaps continued throughout the day Sunday in Bartlesville.

The local wrecks with injury occurred around 6:40 a.m. on Silver Lake Road and Stonewall, and in the early afternoon at Virginia Avenue and Lupa and near the intersection of Nowata Road and Silver Lake.

In the latter crash, one vehicle rolled over after leaving the roadway along Silver Lake — with passengers being trapped within for a brief time. The Virginia-Lupa accident happened an hour earlier, at about 1:30 p.m.

Southerly breezes in the 20-25 mph range Sunday increased an already serious wildfire danger. Wind-whipped blazes both south and west of town were contained due to a rapid response by multiple Washington County fire departments.

The grass fire situation was exacerbated by city firefighters responding several times to what was reported to be a controlled burn on Circle Mountain. After first investigating due to visible smoke in the area, firefighters were called back later when the blaze threatened to get out-of-control.

Late Sunday night and early Monday morning, city firefighters were summoned back to the scene when passers-by became alarmed at the brightly-glowing area on the northeast side of the hillside residential community.

Bartlesville Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hollander reiterated Monday that, while there is no burn ban currently in effect, all outdoor burning still poses a major hazard.

“Due to the dry weather, we definitely are not issuing any burn permits,” the local fire official said. “And, none will be issued until further notice.”

Calmer wind conditions — expected to develop Monday afternoon — should bring some relief for area firefighters who continue to face the looming threat of grass fires.

Recent lunar occurrences may have played a part in one of the stranger police calls from the weekend. Officers were called Saturday night to investigate reports of streakers in the area of the gingerbread house at the “Fantasy Land of Lights” exhibit in Johnstone Park.

No arrests were reported — although some evidence, reportedly was uncovered.